Nature and Nurture
by Hnkkorgris
Summary: What happens when a curious Ditto tries to replicate more than just the body?
1. Chapter 1

People are what they experience in life; their behavior represents the sum of their experiences, from birth until death. Or at least, that's how I've come to understand it. I've seen people behave in very different ways, and at first I thought it was because of their DNA. Isn't everything about DNA? People look different, so they must be made of different DNA that makes them act differently.

I replicated my trainer once. He laughed and examined my likeness with delight, marveling at the transformative power of his prized Ditto. I was a flawless copier, and I knew it. But despite looking like the human boy that I'd come to know and love, I still didn't behave like him. I didn't think like him. And immediately it dawned upon me as to why. My trainer—Zack was his name—cried when he was homesick, because he missed his family. I never cried because I never had a family in the first place, so how could I feel sad about being away from it? Zack was happy when he saw bird Pokemon flying in the sky, because when he was a child his father took him flying on their pet Fearow every weekend. I had no such memory, so of course I would react differently to flying Pokemon.

That was it, I thought. Memories. People are more than just hunks of cells, elaborate fleshy husks controlled by vulnerable brain matter. The secret ingredient is memory. Memories are the programming that wires people together, what makes them ultimately who they are.

And if I could find a way to replicate those memories, only then could I make a truly flawless copy.

...

Zack was a trusting trainer, partly because he was so young and naïve, and partly because he treated his Pokemon like his friends. He didn't think it was fair to keep his companions inside the cramped, hot Pokeballs while he was out walking, eating, and sleeping, so we did everything together. There were only two of us—Abra and myself—but he treated us like family. We soaked in gorgeous hilltop vistas together. We slept in cozy huddles by a roaring campfire every night. We were inseparable.

One night, as I lay awake cushioning Zack's head with my gelatinous body, I stretched around to find Abra sitting by herself on the other side of the campfire. She was clearly not sleeping.

Abra? I whispered, Are you awake?

She hummed an affirmative sound in my cells. It was strangely remarkable how she could speak telepathically even to me, an oozing blob of genetic material with no defined brain. I stared at her face, her posture. She was completely unreadable, as usual.

Is something troubling you, friend?

_I just couldn't sleep, _was her reply.

I slid myself out from beneath Zack, who was by now snoring quietly, and transformed into an Abra myself, so I could communicate silently with her. Sidling up next to the fire beside her, I added, _that's an unusual thing for you to say. You usually sleep so much._

_Got a lot on my mind._

We sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth of the fire contrasted with the cool of the night air around us. I could sense snippets of Zack's dreams in my quasi-Abra brain. They were happy dreams. Dreams of sledding back in his hometown. Zack was a happy child. Then, a thought occurred to me.

_Abra, you can read minds, right?_

_Of course._

_Can you read memories, as well?_

She turned to me and opened her eyes partway. They were beautiful red eyes, like Kadabra eyes but less sinister. Then she closed them again and replied, _I know what you are planning to do, Ditto. I've been reading your thoughts all morning, and that is what has been on my mind._

_So you won't help me?_ I asked, dejected.

_You will hurt yourself._

_No,_ I smiled, _I am good at copying._

I stood up and shuffled back over to Zack, plopping down next to his head. His dreams became louder, and I smiled to myself as his dream sled took off into the sky, soaring among flocks of glorious Fearow. I placed my Abra hand on his head and, for the first time, truly tapped into the psychic powers of the creature whose body I occupied.

Zack's thoughts hit me like a rush. It was overwhelming. Painfully overwhelming, like swallowing too much food in one gulp. The Fearow… his father… _my_ father…

The last thing I remembered before the last of my mind succumbed to the rush of thoughts was the feeling of my body transforming into a human. I blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

I was a young boy. I lived in a small town just outside of Cerulean City. I spent my days playing outside and looking for wild Pokemon, pretending to be a real trainer. As soon as I turned ten, I knew exactly what Pokemon I wanted to catch first: a Ditto! It was my favorite! It could be any Pokemon in the world, or even something cooler like a dinosaur! I loved the grassy hillsides around my country home, and I loved sledding down them when they got covered in snow during the winter months. I didn't have many friends, since there weren't many neighbors nearby, but I did play with my dad and Fearow.

Mom was always busy cooking or doing something grown-up like that. Bo-ring! Whenever I bothered her too much she'd tell me I'd make a terrible older brother. One time I asked her if she was going to have another baby, and she said with a sad look in her eyes that she already did. I still haven't figured out why she insisted I had a younger sibling. If I did, I would have seen him, right?

I finally turned ten years old. I could hardly wait! I was so ready to go out and catch my first Pokemon, when dad stopped me on my way out the door. He had a present for me. It was a Pokeball! My very first Pokemon! I was so excited! I ran outside to open it and sure enough, there was a Ditto inside, sleepily blinking up at me. It was the beginning of the greatest adventures of my life! I could still remember my parents' smiling faces as I left the house on my grand expedition, ready to tackle the world. I didn't want to be a Pokemon master, though. I didn't intend to challenge any gyms. I wanted to see the world. To see what other fantastic creatures awaited me on the other side of those grassy hilltops. To see the vistas, the ocean, the mountains. To see if the people in Johto were really as angry as everyone said they were.

But before I left, I had to ask.

"Dad? Why did you go so far out of your way to catch me this Pokemon?"

But he just smiled sadly at me and said, "We want you to have it as a way to remember us. Me, your mother... and your little brother."

...

I gasped and woke up with a start. That was the most intense dream I've ever had, I thought as I sat up, rubbing my head. The campfire had gone out on its own last night. "Hey Abra! Ditto! Come here, I..." I paused as I saw what looked like an exact copy of me, sleeping huddled around the cold firepit. I nudged him awake.

"Hey, Ditto, that's not funny! Cut it out!"

My duplicate peeled his eyes open sleepily, then practically jumped out of his pants when he caught sight of me. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, then smirked and said, "Hah, good one Ditto! You got me!"

"Huh? I'm not Ditto..." I was perplexed. "I'm Zack. _You're_ Ditto."

"Very funny, Ditto," my duplicate replied, giggling a little. "You're a good actor! Looks like you can copy more than just my looks."

Still perplexed, I replied, "No, I'm serious, I'm Zack. I remember being Zack. I remember sledding down the hills back at home, and flying with Fearow, and how my parents wanted me to remember my little brother..."

My duplicate went silent. His expression of merriment vanished, replaced by a deeply disturbed look. "You... Ditto... don't ever copy me again."

"I keep telling you, I'm not-" but before I could reply, the duplicate reached over and tickled me under the armpit. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. And then, my body began to disintegrate, melting into globs of pink, translucent jelly. So I really was the Ditto. Of _course_ I was the Ditto. I could remember everything now. And Zack sure didn't seem pleased with me for my little trick. He silently packed up his gear and turned his back on me.

"C'mon Abra, we'd better get going."

He was upset because I'd tapped into his deepest, innermost thoughts. He probably didn't appreciate that, since some of what I found was... personal to him. Guess I'd never be able to try it again with him, but I couldn't help but feel a little bit of euphoria from the whole experience. I had replicated Zack perfectly. I had copied him both body and mind. I _became_ Zack, I _believed_ I was Zack.

I trailed silently behind my trainer, bobbing up and down with uncontrollable glee. I had done it. I could be satisfied with that. Right?


End file.
